Pokémon: Heroes of Sea
by shadowborg2
Summary: Join Ino Birch, daughter of the great Professor Birch, and Dexter Wulfgar, son of Norman, as they embark on a journey across the new Hoenn region. A story of world-saving, mega-evolving, and genuine fun! A novelization of Alpha Sapphire. May and Brendan are replaced with OC game avatars. Rating it T to be safe, not sure if I'll need it or not. Let me know what you think!
1. HoS: Part One, Section One

**Part One**

**Leaves**

Section One:

An Introduction to Ino Birch

A small trail of light filtered through a small hole in the side of a moving truck, casting across Ino's eye, and waking her from her slumber. She had fallen asleep in the back of her moving truck, which was hard enough to do from the amount of bouncing, and now that she was awake, she knew it was useless to try again. Removing her PokéNav from her pocket, Ino played back the message left on it from her father, the Professor in the town to which she was moving. She rubbed one of her eyes while going over the information she needed to know about the world of Pokémon, and everything else she had heard her entire life living under the roof of Professor Birch. The past several years had been peaceful with her father at home, and it allowed Ino and her mother to get along quietly in the Johto region. It wasn't to last, however, for now she rode in the back of the truck taking her to her new home: Littleroot, a small hamlet in the Hoenn region.

The video had just finished playing, and with it, the truck skidded to a halt, sending several loose pillows toppling to the ground, and one onto Ino. She muttered some undesirable phrases, and pushed onto her feet, throwing one arm over her head to stretch it out, followed by the other, and two hops after that. With a yawn, she padded over to the doors of the truck, and pushed them open, letting in a burst of sunlight that nearly blinded her.

Before her eyes lay a simple road, heading straight out into a small group of houses. As Ino leapt from the back of the truck and landed on the ground, the home beside her came into view, giving her a feeling of absolute disappointment. The house was puny: two stories and barely enough room along the base for more than one room. It was constructed out of simple wood, that brought out a very warm feeling, but not one that Ino cared to feel at the moment. She let out a groan, looking towards the other houses, which all looked identical to the walloping disappointment before her.

Her mother stepped to her side, placing one hand on Ino's shoulder, looking down at her with a warm smile. "Well?" she prompted, expecting Ino to give praise for such an undersized home. The smile on her mother's face stopped her from making any rude quips, and instead forced Ino to smile back.

"It's great, mom." Ino replied, rather forcibly, wearing the most genuine smile she could muster, before heading inside at her mother's side.

Several large Machoke were moving the boxes around, with an even larger Machamp directing the lot with several pushy motions of his four arms. The main room took up a large portion of the first floor. A table was to the right of where the door let in, seated on top of a white rug that had a simple pink embroidering along the edges, with four chairs seated around the table, two on either side parallel to the entrance of the house. Near the table was a rather large television her mother had bought solely for the move, and up a half step lay the back half of the room, which was where the kitchen was located.

After a few moments of standing within the doorway, the Machamp let out a loud grunt, and clapped all four of his hands together three times, and the moving crew exited the house, with the Machamp giving one bow to Ino's mother before making his exit. Her mother smiled gently as the crew left, letting out an equally gentle sigh. "What a lovely little place..." she murmured, turning to Ino once more, and nodding to the stairwell that was several paces before them. "Go on upstairs, honey. You have the whole floor to yourself now." With a nod, Ino was heading upstairs, but halted as her mother called her name again.

"Don't forget to set your clock, honey!" Her mother's warm smile was nearly enough to melt the apprehensive ice suffocating Ino, who couldn't help but smile back, and give a nod, before vanishing up the stairs.

The room opened up before Ino, revealing a much larger room than she could have ever expected. The slant in the ceiling made the room slightly smaller than the area downstairs, but was big enough as a whole to be segmented into two living spaces. Her desk was mounted against the wall, neatly adorned with several books on legendary Pokémon, a journal, and her laptop. Across from her desk was a bed much larger than the one she had in Goldenrod City, very easily a king-sized bed, all to herself, covered in all of the stuffed toys she had grown accustomed to in the city. The other end of her room had a full on-suite bathroom, so incredibly white that she was worried she could be blinded in the mornings. Ino took her clock from the wall, obediently turning it to the time on her PokéNav, replacing it, and dropping into the swivel chair before her journal, which already had an entry from her father.

"_Dear Ino,_

_I hope the move in went well. Assuming you arrived on schedule, I should be on my way to Oldale Town for some research. Apparently some local lunatic calling himself a researcher has found some strange footprints, and the mayor asked me to come and check them out. Although I doubt that they're anything spectacular, I should return by the evening. If not, I apologize, and will be sure to call you and your mother tonight on your PokéNav. _

_Best Wishes,_

_Dad_"

Ino shrugged, tearing the first page from her journal and tucking it into the middle drawer of her desk, purging her journal from any outside influences. She lifted the front cover of her journal and pressed it closed, raising an eyebrow at what was under it. A red ribbon, most likely for her hair, with a tag reading, "Found this in Slateport. I know you like red." attached, signed by her father. Ino put on a small smile and stood before the full-sized mirror in her bathroom, pulling it around the back of her head, and tying the knot just before her forehead, into a small bow. Her bangs bowed out on either side of her face, with shorter wisps of hair going over her forehead. Raising an eyebrow, Ino put on a small smile. She headed over to her desk and saw on final thing left by her father. Upon opening the bottom right drawer in her desk, a single Pokéball rolled forward, with a small happy face drawn on it, probably once again from her father. On the reverse side, it simply read, "I hope it matches the bow".

While staring intently at her Pokéball, she didn't notice the boy who had made her way up the stairs, standing at the top of the stairs, a few paces from the edge of the desk. Ino turned to face him, taking a moment to examine him. He was tall as she was, and probably the same age, wearing what she could easily call something that a wannabe adventurer would wear: a tight, water resistant and temperature reducing shirt, a pair of loose-legged shorts made of similar material to the shirt, and a green backpack for good measure. On top of his head he wore the strangest white cap, that was reminiscent of having long white hair behind a headband. It would have fooled her, if it wasn't for the bits of brown hair sticking out from the sides and back of the hat.

The boy looked her over equally as much, letting out a slight snicker. He pointed at himself with his thumb, wearing such a cocky smile, Ino debated slapping it from his face. "The name's Dexter Wulfric. You can call me Dex, though. I'll allow it." he declared, pointing at the Pokéball in her hand, and then at her face. "Today is the day I start my journey. And I can see the same for you!" He turned his thumb downwards, shaking his head slowly. "Unluckily for you, however, I need a rival. And being the same age, and starting at the same time, I've decided that rival is you!"

Ino raised both eyebrows, trying to figure out if the boy declaring his distaste for her was being entirely serious, or if he had just been bitten by a Spinarak. Once she had decided from the lack of dirt on him that he had woken up at home this morning, she giggled slightly, shrinking the Pokéball she was holding, and snapping it to her belt. "I'm Ino, then." she mumbled, scratching her cheek lightly. "Ino Birch. I moved in today. It's a pleasure to meet you, Dexter." She was playing the cute card, and Dexter didn't seem to notice, remaining completely unfazed by her attempt to get him to call off the rivalry.

He took her hand and shook it rather roughly, replacing his cocky smile with that of a genuine one. "It's a pleasure, Ino! Your dad is the one giving me the Pokémon!" Once letting her go, Ino quickly retracted her hand, rubbing the side of her crushed hand, and retaining a cry in pain. "I'm not kidding, though. Now I want to fight you even more!" he declared, bouncing with excitement. "The Professor's daughter and the valiant hero! It's like all of the stories mother told me!"

Ino tried to recall which story involved a professor's daughter and a valiant hero, but sighed when she realized it was pointless. This boy wasn't going to be phased. Ino had earned herself a rival, within the hour of her new home.

"Wonderful."


	2. HoS: Part One, Section Two

Section Two:

An Introduction to Dexter Wulfric

The cawing of birds signaled Dexter's exit from the home of Ino Birch, daughter of legendary Professor Birch, who was the longtime friend of Dexter's father, Norman. Dexter headed down the path towards his home, which was the one neighboring the Birch family. Once his mother had informed him that a new girl was moving in next door, and that said new girl was his age, Dexter simply had to introduce himself to his newfound rival. Growing up as one of the few children in Azalea Town, he found a great amount of peace in being alone, but now that he had found himself in the same region as his father, he decided it was time to get new friends. And what better way, he decided, to get closer to someone, than to make them your enemy?

Dexter pondered this thought, rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger, trying to decide on whether or not he came off strong enough at Ino. He opened the door to his home, closing it gently behind him, as he debated his next course of action against his new rival. Perhaps he could challenge her to some sort of contest tomorrow? Dexter pulled out a chair from his table, and took a seat facing the kitchen, leaning his chin on his palm. "Hey, mom... How do you challenge someone for the first time?" he asked, looking up at her, as she busily worked on making dinner.

His mother turned to face him, using the towel she had tucked into the pocket of her apron to wipe her hands down, and give a slight snicker. "Whatever do you mean, dear?" she inquired, looking at him with a smile of genuine care.

Dexter sighed, sitting back in his chair, and reaching under the edge of his cap to scratch the top of his head. "Well, I went over to meet the neighbors. Mrs. Birch is really nice, and their daughter Ino seems really cool," he began, taking a moment to think about how he wanted to put it to his mother. "I saw that Ino had a Pokémon, and I knew I would be getting one pretty soon. So, I called her my rival. And that's all that really happened." He glanced at his mother, prompting her to give him advice, starting at that exact moment.

Her immediate response was a chuckle lightly, and replace the towel to her apron pocket. She turned back to the pot she had on the burner, stirring it gently as she replied to Dexter. "Well, Dexter, it seems as if you've had a very interesting start to your day!" she said cheerily, not even bothering to mask her excitement for the fact her son was already making friends. Once she had finished stirring the pot, she turned back to Dexter, taking a moment to think up her motherly advice.

"If I were you, Dex, I would go over and apologize to Ino." Anticipating Dexter's protest, his mother rose a single finger, stifling his springing onto his feet. "Because, Dex, you don't want to make an enemy. By going over there and saying things like that, perhaps you've come off too strong, and you could have said something that hurt Ino's feeling." Dexter relaxed slightly, letting out a sigh, and opening the way for his mother to finish her advice. "Ino seems like a rather quiet girl. You could have scared her, you know?"

Dexter stood from her chair, and pulled his hat back into the center of his head, cracking the knuckles on both of his hands. He turned to his mother and offered a smile as thanks, and vanished out the door and onto the dirt road joining the two houses. However, just as Dexter had exited his home and began making his way towards the Birch household, in the center of the crossroad leaving the town, Ino exited her home as well. She was breathing as if she had sprinted from the house, and she gripped her PokéNav tightly in her hand, looking down briefly to check it. After doing so, she planted, and sprinted directly at Dexter, causing him to flinch. Once she reached the bend in the road she took off into route 101, leaving Dexter behind as if she hadn't noticed him.

Allowing his pride to take the better of him, Dexter took off directly after her, completely disregarding the fact he didn't have a Pokémon, and was therefore completely unprotected. He cast the thought aside, however, and quickly caught up to Ino, was was moving at a very quick pace for such a small girl.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking sideways at her, as they kept pace for pace down the route.

Ino scowled once she had caught sight of Dexter, looking ahead quickly in an attempt to brush him off. They had gotten only a few more paces down the trail before she realized it was useless, and skidded to a halt, pointing one finger back to Littleroot. "Go home, Dexter," she stated, rather roughly, tapping one foot impatiently. "You don't have a Pokémon, and therefore are useless in this situation."

Dexter shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest. "Look, Ino, I just wanted to talk to you for a minute..." He blinked as he paused, and once his eyes were open again, Ino was heading down the trail, completely disregarding him once again. Dexter swore under his breath and jogged after her once again, continually calling out her name in an attempt to get her to slow down.

The two broke through the gate of the nearest town, Oldale, in a full sprint. In the center of the square, a rather rotund man was on his hands and knees, breathing heavily, as he gripped a Pokéball in his right hand. He spoke through his pants, shaking his head slowly. "Wow... I can't believe... I was beaten so badly..."

Ino, who had taken a moment to catch her breath while examining the seen, sprinted forward. "Dad!" she screamed, sliding down to the ground at his side, and placing one hand on his back. "Dad! Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!" Her voice was filled with the utmost fear Dexter had heard in his life.

From the shade of nearby trees, three figure emerged, clad in blue clothing that Dexter swore he saw in some pirate movie during his childhood. One was a woman in her mid-twenties at the oldest, wearing a great deal of makeup. Her hair was long and wild, flaring out to both sides a it fell to the bottom of her back. A single blue streak carried a large portion of her bangs to fly away from her face to the left, and another carried a much smaller portion to the left. Finally, she pulled a pair of goggle from her piercing blue eyes, and placed them at the top of her forehead, applying the most satisfied grin to her deep ebony face.

"Bravo, Professor! I must say! You put up quite the fight back there." The woman glanced downward at Ino and snickered, as two pirate-themed grunts took either side of her. "Who's this little brat, hmm?" she asked, raising a single eyebrow. "Have you come to play?"

Ino slammed a closed fist into the ground, and sprang to her feet, pulling the sole Pokéball from her hip, and expanding it. Professor Birch attempted to protest, but was silenced by Ino, who stood in front of him. "Don't worry, Dad," she said, looking down at him, and offering him a smile. "I can do this. I know it."

Dexter swallowed hard, taking his place at the Professor's side. Ino threw her Pokéball into the air, and with the flashing of light, it burst open, and from the red light, a creature formed on the ground. When the light had cleared, a blue creature was standing on the dirt, taking a few glances around, in an attempt to figure out what was happening. Ino stared at it with an equal amount of confusion, turning to her fallen father, and gesturing to the Mudkip with a questioning glare.

The Professor could only muster an embarrassed chuckle, sliding his bag out from under his chest. "I meant to give you Torchic, since it matched your favorite color..." He trailed off, allowing a Pokéball to roll out of his bag, and land at the feet of Dexter. "But, I accidentally switched your Pokémon with Dexter's. Say hello to Mudkip, the Mud Fish Pokémon. Your starting choice."

Dexter reached down and clasped the Torchic's ball in his hand. He stood upright, and look at the Professor, visibly shaking with anticipation. In reply, the Professor only nodded, causing Dexter to spring up to Ino's side, expanding the Pokéball in his hand. "Alright, let's go! Torchic, time to party!" The ball flew straight into the air, and once the timer was released, it burst open, sending a beam of red light to the ground, that took the form of a small red bird, the immediately hiccuped fire upon hitting the dusty ground.

Ino groaned, snapping Mudkip's Pokéball to her hip, and giving her knuckle a quick crack. "Do you know anything about battling, Dexter?" she asked, without even turning towards him.

Dexter shook his head, snapping his collapsed Pokéball to his belt. "I've only seen what they show on the television. Unfortunately, I've never really gotten my chance." He swallowed hard, clenching his fists at his side.

The older woman looked at the town for a moment, before bursting out into laughter. She turned away from them, towards Petalburg. Before she started away, she looked back at her two escorts, and waved dismissively at both Ino and Dexter. "Take care of them. I'm heading to Rustboro for those parts." And with that, she walked away, into route 102.

Ino glanced at Dexter, trying her best to keep a cool composure. "Do you think we can win?" she asked, as the two grunts released Poochyenas. Mudkip, sensing the danger, took a defensive position in front of Ino. Torchic, clearly afraid, was standing at Dexter's side, burrowing its head into his calf.

Dexter pat his Torchic on the head, and shrugged. "We won't know until we try, I guess."

**I hope you're enjoying this so far. I'll be uploading the next part sometime after Thanksgiving. However, with final exams on the horizon, I'm not entirely sure when I'll be able to get the next section out. I will try to work diligently, however, and get the next chapter out as soon as possible.

***on names:

Ino is the name I have been using since generation IV for my avatar in Pokémon games. Similarly, Dexter is the name of my friend's avatar, and is used as such. These characters are solely based on what I believe Ino and Dexter are like, not what May and Brendan are like.


	3. HoS: Part One, Section Three

Section 3:

The First Encounter

Ino took the brief moment between the release of the Grunts' Pokémon, and their first move to try and think up a strategy. There was a long moment of pause, almost agonizingly so, that Ino had to ponder, as a gentle breeze carried across the square of Oldale. Once the wind had died, there was a second of total silence, before the sound of rustling in nearby bushes, caused all four trainers to raise their arms, and direct their Pokémon into battle.

Dexter was the first, raising his finger at the Poochyena directly across from him, pulling an excited smile onto his face. "Let's go, Vulcan! Hit them with Scratch!" he called, looking to his Torchic. Once the creature realized he was referring to it with the name Vulcan, it ran forward, lunging claw-first at the small black target, letting out a cry, in an attempt to intimidate its target.

The Poochyena couldn't be fazed, however, and sprung backwards, effectively dodging Vulcan. With a snicker, the grunt controlling the hound snapped his fingers, and simply ordered his Pokémon to bite Vulcan. In the moment it took Vulcan to regain his balance, the Poochyena was upon it, clamping down against Torchic's soft torso. Although the Poochyena had to quickly release Vulcan due to his high body temperature, a rather rextensive amount of damage was already dealt. The Torchic hobbled backward, trying to shake some of the blood from its feathers.

Ino glared at the grunt standing before her, and then looked down at her Mudkip, giving it one nod of approval. The Mudkip only let out a cheery, "Kip!" in reply, before glaring the second Poochyena down.

Ino pointed forward, stomping one foot into the dirt for balance, in an attempt to strike a rather cool pose. "Alright, Mudkip!" she called, raising her Pokémon to attention, "Use Tackle!" Obediently, the Mudkip charged forwards, lashing head-first at the small hound. It sprung backward from the first hit, but stepped back onto a pebble, causing the Poochyena to sumble, and leave itself wide open for a punishing attack.

Seizing this moment, Mudkip acted even without Ino's orders, springing forward once again, full force, into the Poochyena's side. Unable to cushion the strike at all, the black hound went skidding across the square, finally stopping by landing against the side of the Pokémon Center, barely able to push onto its feet.

Dexter looked back at Ino, sending her a huge thumbs-up, and immediately returning his focus to the battle he was facing, ordering his Torchic to spring backwards. Contrary to her Mudkip, this Torchic already named Vulcan was unable to deliver quite as powerful hits, as it only had a pair of small claws to rely on, versus the very mobile body and powerful form that Mudkip posed. It dodged backwards once again from the Poochyena, and finally fed up; it sprung into the air, and released a flurry of hot embers from its beak. The Poochyena, which was too stunned by the sudden explosion of heat in the air, took the hit from the fiery coals directly, and collapsed to the ground, fainting from the shear amount of pain.

The grunts, out of usable Pokémon, coughed up money to their challengers, as is custom, and looked at one another, swallowing hard.

The first one, on the left, spoke first. "Shelly is gonna kill us, Gus," he muttered, rather crossly, returning the burnt Poochyena to his hip.

The second one swallowed hard, grabbing both sides of his head, and stopping against the ground several times. "You're right, Rich! She's going to break my foot again!" He turned to his friend, looked at both Dexter and Ino, and growled. "You'll pay, brats. I swear it my livelihood, I'll be the one to tear you down!" With that, and the return of his Poochyena, both grunts sprinted off after where this Shelly had gone, leaving both Ino and Dexter to tend to Professor Birch.

Without skipping a beat, Ino spun on her heel, and knelt at her father's side. He was now seated upright, unable to stand because of a twisted ankle. Ino clenched her fingers closed against the ground, digging out rows of soft soil with her fingers and into her palm. "Dad, why did they do this to you?" she asked, through clenched teeth, looking deep into her father's grey eyes with a fiery passion.

The Professor, taken by his daughter's sudden passion, took a moment to reply. Once snapped back into reality, he slid his bag forward, and from it, he pulled out two red devices, that vaguely reminded Ino of a handheld gaming device or something like it. The Professor held one out in both hands; one towards Ino, and the other towards Dexter. "These are what they wanted. These are Pokédexes: something I've spent a painstaking amount of time trying to realize. I took them with me today in order to see if they worked properly." He tried to stand, but quickly found himself back on the ground, as his ankle could barely hold any weight at all. "Wow… It looks like those pirate-types did a number on my leg…"

Ino remained silent, looking at the Pokédex for a moment. Without so much as a noise, she slid the device into her small pack that she had strapped around her waist, and stood, reaching a hand out to her father, and motioning for Dexter to take a spot at her side. "We'll get you back home, dad," she murmured, hoisting him onto one leg, with the help of Dexter, who took his left arm, while Ino took the right. In an almost painfully silent state, the three made the slow trek home, with both Mudkip and Vulcan following respective owners, keeping an eye out for wild Pokémon. It wasn't until they were nearly at the end of route 101 that Ino spoke up, at last.

"You wanted to tell me something earlier, didn't you, Dexter?" she inquired, without looking at him. A gentle breeze of wind followed her inquiry, and with it, a single green leaf drifted lazily from the tree above, taking several spins and liberties as it fell onto the trail, signaling the safe return of the party, who were left uninterrupted as they tread down the dirt trail, taking the Professor back to the Birch household.

Dexter nodded, turning to look at her. "I wanted to apologize to you, Ino," he said, rather simply, allowing his statement to rest a moment before continuing. "I may have sounded like a real loser, coming up and calling you my rival, and stuff. I was just so excited to make a friend, and I saw the Pokéball, and…" He trailed off, looking down at the trail, and not bothering to pick up the end of his sentence.

Ino did, however, struck by his sudden sincerity. Internally, she groaned, as she could tell what she would be getting into by playing into his game. However, seeing Dexter in such a sullen state, she couldn't help herself but to oblige him.

"You fought pretty well out there, for my rival."

She tried her best to say it as sincerely as she could. He did, in fact, fight very well against those of much greater experience than either of them, having only begun their first fight. However, by acknowledging him as her rival, perhaps it would come to bite her later, but she didn't mind. For once hearing the word "rival" leave her lips, Dexter froze, and stared at her with wide, excited eyes.

Before he could speak, the door to Ino's house flung open, and from it, her mother burst forth, standing with arms crossed in the doorway. "What did I tell you about not taking proper Pokémon on jobs?!" she demanded, glaring directly into the Professor's eyes, as Ino and Dexter stopped him within a pace of Ino's mother.

The Professor let out an awkward chuckle. "I remember, honey. I just forgot this time, I promise!" Ino's mother clearly wasn't pleased with this response, taking the Professor by the ear, and throwing his arm over her shoulder, and leading him inside by herself, leaving Ino and Dexter outside.

Dexter turned to Ino, and their eyes met, halting there for several unbroken moments. Ino finally broke the blinking-contest by looking away, out into the trees outlining the town. "Look, don't take that as-"

She was cut off by Dexter, who looked down at his Torchic, which was seated at his ankle, leaning against his calf, and then to Mudkip, who was several paces away, carefully sniffing out some flowers, before speaking up.

"I think it's kind of funny, you know?" he prompted, not even waiting for Ino and ask him for clarification before speaking again. "I woke up today a new kid in a small town. I was no one special, without a single friend in the world." He pulled the Pokéball from his hip, and in one motion, he dropped it on the ground, and smashed it underfoot, officially freeing Vulcan of his ball. "And now, I've met three. Ino, Vulcan, and Mudkip."

Hearing his name, Ino's Mudkip took several steps forward, stopping at Ino's right ankle, while Vulcan pecked at the ground where Dexter smashed the Pokéball, under his right foot. Ino raised an eyebrow at what Dexter had done, and eventually shrugged, doing the same with her Pokéball. She dropped it onto the ground, and in one swift stomp, the small, red and white ball was shattered into thousands of pieces, scattered across the dirt. "I suppose I can say the same, Dexter," she replied, rather quietly, looking at her Mudkip. "He'll need a name, won't he?" She nodded at Mudkip, who looked between the two trainers with a great deal of confusion.

"She'll," Dexter corrected, suppressing a chuckle. "Didn't you watch your Pokémon fight at all? The Mudkip is clearly a girl."

Ino blushed, and scooped her Mudkip into her arms, holding it across the center of its torso with both arms, allowing its small arms to stick over her own arms. "Whatever." She looked at the Mudkip, and thought briefly, before deciding on a name. "I'll call you Alpha, because you're my first Pokémon/"

Dexter let out a stifled snort, allowing his Torchic to take a perch on his right shoulder. "That has to be the worst Pokémon name I've ever heard!" he said, breaking out into laughter, that was cut very short by Ino's fist, clocking him over the back of the head.

"Shut up you oaf," she muttered, rather bitterly, returning to her position two paces away, facing him once again. "Meet me at the gate of the town tomorrow morning, at nine." And with that, Ino vanished into the house, leaving Dexter on the dirt road, wearing one of the brightest smiles he'd ever had on his face.


	4. HoS: Part One, Section Four

Section 4:

A New Breeze

There was a long several moments of near silence, as Ino stood at the gates of Littleroot Town. The only noise that could be heard in that string of moments was the sound of the wind, that carried the scent of fresh-cut grass up the hill to Ino, pulling with it leaves. Alpha, her newly freed companion, was curled up on the soft grass, silently sleeping, leaving Ino this time to ponder what had transpired in the single day she had been in the Hoenn region. She had received the opposite Pokémon to which was expecting, getting a Mudkip rather than a Torchic. As she took a seat next to Alpha, and caressed the side of her head, Ino decided, with a soft smile, that she could live with this choice.

Her father had been attacked by thugs, she recalled, as she pulled Alpha onto her lap and pet the protesting Pokémon back to comfort. Somehow, by a divine intervention, perhaps, Ino and her newfound rival, Dexter, had managed to pull a win against those with greater experience, with a minimal amount of damage sustained to either herself or her Pokémon.

And now, her thoughts moved to Dexter. He was brash, barely thought about anything, and lacked even the smallest bit of common sense. However, it was because of his tenacity, and tagging along to Oldale town, that Ino was able to protect her father and his work. Perhaps, his lack of foresight was something of a blessing? Ino could already tell that being around Dexter was beginning to change her, ever so slightly, into a more open person. Whenever he was near, she cared less about details and facts, and more about what she felt as a human being. It was as if these thoughts caught her face on fire, as she could feel a great amount of heat growing behind her cheeks, causing her to spring to her feet, and practically throw Alpha forward.

"What was that all about?"

The voice of Dexter jolted Ino even more so than her thoughts about him, causing her to jump once again, and face him, dusting herself off rather nervously.

"I-I thought I felt something crawling on me, is all…" Her nervous stammer took a moment to clear up, and Alpha took a rather cautious place at Ino's side, being careful not to be in the line of fire if she decided to make such a quick movement again.

Dexter smiled at Ino, allowing Vulcan to leap onto his shoulder once again, and take a secure position there. "Did I leave you here long?" he asked, pulling his pack tighter across his chest. He rubbed the back of his next, chuckling lightly. "I asked my mom to wake me up earlier, but she slept in too."

Ino pulled her PokéNav from her pocket, and switched it on, bringing up the clock. It informed her that is was twelve minutes past nine, as a Pikachu jumped playfully over a rainbow in the background. Ino let out a disappointed sigh, although she hadn't even realized he was late until just this moment. "I suppose it's alright," she muttered, pulling the bow on top of her head tight once again. She returned her PokéNav to her pocket, and from it removed the PokéDex, a parting gift from her father, whose ankle was too injured for him to make the journey to the edge of town with them.

"My dad is recouping right now. So, he told me what we need to do with these." She switched the power on, and aiming the camera on the back at Vulcan. It took a moment, but spoke in a robotic tone, giving insightful information about the species Torchic was.

_Torchic; the Chic Pokémon-_

_Torchic has a place inside its body where it keeps its flame. Give it a hug- It will be glowing with warmth. This Pokémon is covered all over by a fluffy coat of down, and can breathe fire of over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. _

Dexter raised an eyebrow, glancing at Vulcan, who if he had arms, would have most likely been replying with a shrug. He returned his gaze to Ino, who had returned the device to her pack. "Okay, so its an encyclopedia of seen Pokémon. What about it is so important?"

Ino shrugged, looking back to him once the PokéDex had been safely returned to her pack. "Frankly, I'm not sure myself," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "Anyway, my father left us with these so that we could go out into the world, and document Pokémon from all over." She blinked once, realizing that Alpha was prodding her calf with one of her paws. She scooped her up with both arms, a held Alpha over the center of her chest. "That's all I know so far."

Dexter nodded in reply, turning towards the town gate, letting out a slight grunt, signaling his approval of the quest. "I have an idea, Ino," he said, rather simply, turning back to her once again, wearing a bright smile. "We are going to challenge the Pokémon League."

The wind picked up, rather suddenly, into a slightly less-than-gentle tug, strong enough to allow Ino's bangs to sway in the wind. Several green leaves spiraled past the two trainers, perhaps signaling the beginning of something new, and that there was no coming back.

Ino didn't pay this mind, though, instead floored by the sudden request laid upon her by her presumed rival. Coming over from Johto was something she expected to be fruitless. She was to attend school, getting a boring job as a lab assistant with her father, and live a quiet, boring life. None of this should have happened. It was happening way too suddenly, at the very least. She had met this boy yesterday! And now, he was asking her to take part in some crazy quest, and become one of the world's elite Pokémon trainers.

And what was crazier, Ino had decided, was that she was completely willing to go along with this completely insane journey. She found herself nodding to his idea, although she gripped Alpha tighter, mostly from apprehension. "I… I think that sounds like a good idea." She nodded again, turning towards the town gate now. "After I met Alpha, and she spent the night with me, I decided something. She makes me want to learn more about this world. I want to grow more powerful, and get closer to Alpha, and other Pokémon, too."

Dexter turned towards the exit of town as well, reaching across his chest to pat Vulcan on top of his head. "I couldn't have said it better myself." He chuckled, though, only a moment after finishing. "You know that we're rivals, though, right?" he asked, glancing at Ino.

Ino raised an eyebrow, glancing back. "And?"

Dexter crossed his arms over his chest. "From now on, I'm going to do nothing but get stronger. And the next time we meet, I'm going to challenge you to a battle. And I'm going to win!" He grinned, cracking his knuckles. "I'm going to get through the Pokémon League first, and I'm going to win!"

Ino laughed at him, confusing Alpha, who looked at her with questioning eyes. "That's what you think, Dex," she said, calling him by his shortened name for the first time, catching his attention instantly. "I'll beat you every step of the way."

And with those words, and a gust of wind at their backs, both trainers sprinted out of town, leaving a single, deep green leaf to land at the very cusp of Route 101. It sat there for a moment, before another gust of wind carried it high into the sky, and out of sight, into the line of trees.

**Part One:**

**Leaves**

**-End-**

**Part Two:**

**Will of Stone**

**Coming December**

**Thank you for the support so far! I've been having a great deal of fun writing this story, which I initially planned to discontinue quickly. Its why I've been able to update so quickly! If you enjoy, expect more updates in the future.

Have a Happy Thanksgiving, for those who celebrate!

~shadowborg2

P.S: Once I get through finals, and am moved back home for the semester break, I'll be able to update very, very quickly. Until then, because of finals, expect very sparring updates.


	5. HoS: Part Two, Section One

**Part Two:**

**Will of Stone**

Section One:

A Beginning

The trees swayed gently in the wind on route one hundred and two, as Ino made her way towards Petalburg City. She and Dexter had parted ways at the center of Oldale town, where only a day prior they were fighting to protect the items they now so easily carried in their packs. Dexter headed north, into route one hundred and three, in order to get some training done while he was still in the area, before heading towards Petalburg, and facing his father for the first time since moving from Johto.

As Ino paced down the trail, Alpha followed closely, taking the occasional detour here and there in order to make sure nothing threatening was following her or her trainer. Ino chuckled lightly at the loyalty displayed by her new friend, whom she had only met yesterday. From the way the Pokémon was acting, however, it was as if they had been friends since birth. The cheerful thought was interrupted, however, as the rustling of nearby bushes made both Alpha and Ino spring to attention. Ino quickly had her hand in her pack, ready to use her new PokéDex on whatever came from the bushes. Alpha took a defensive position at Ino's front, standing proudly, and announcing, with a growl, that it was ready to stand its ground.

Instead of a Pokémon, what rolled from the tall grass was a girl, who rolled backwards from the grass, and landed directly at Ino's feet, so quickly that Alpha yelped, and sprung backwards. The girl was very pretty, with long, light brown hair with some blonde streaks running through the body of her hair, as it would have been long enough to fall to the middle of her back. Her bangs flew away on the right side of her face, and when she blinked, it revealed a pair of stunningly blue eyes, that seemed to glimmer in the sunlight that filtered through the trees.

Clearly embarrassed by her first impression, she bounced onto her feet, and dusted herself off. She wore a rather modest white blouse, and on her arms she wore a beige, open sweater, that she didn't bother to pull up over her shoulders. On her legs she wore a form-fitting pair of black leggings, that made their way into a pair of jean dukes, and down they tucked into a pair of black high-top sneakers, brand new, so Ino could tell that this girl was no seasoned trainer, if falling from the bushes wasn't enough evidence. From the bushes, a Mudkip nearly identical to Alpha burst forth, taking a defensive position before its trainer.

The girl snickered gently, and then broke out into full out, almost maniacal laughter, prompting her Mudkip to take a few steps to the side, as the girl paced forward. "It seems unfortunate, girl, that you'd run into an opponent such as me on your very first day out…" The girl stopped, and as if on a cue, looked up, and struck a pose. Her legs spread shoulder-width apart, and her right foot kept the beat, as she rayed her left arm out to the side, stopping at about parallel to her shoulders. With her right hand, in a swift series of movements, she closed all fingers but her thumb, pointer, and middle finger, and lifted her hand above her eye. She spread her pointer finger and middle finger apart, and held her thumb downwards, creating a small gap for her eye to appear through.

"You've stumbled upon me! The Lambent, vanquisher of Darkness!" Following this great declaration, there was a great few moments of anticlimactic silence, making the girl break out into a deep-red blush. She stomped her foot, breaking the pose and character, to glare down Ino. "Why aren't you running away? Didn't that butter you up enough?" she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "I worked for weeks on that. I got the timing right and everything!"

Ino blinked, looking down at Alpha, who would have shrugged if she could. Instead, she looked back at Ino, equally as puzzled. Ino took a tentative step forward, looking the very strange girl in the eye. "Are you looking for a battle?" she inquired, nodding towards the Mudkip she had at her side.

The girl… The Lambent shrugged, uncrossing her arms. "I suppose, if you aren't going to run, I'll take you on." She pulled one of her two Pokéballs from her hip, and held it out to Ino. "I want you to take this if you win. It's a Poochyena that some old man gave to me," she said, clipping it right back onto her hip. "I'd use it, but The Lambent doesn't use Dark type Pokémon, as it would go against her very mission."

Ino nodded, pointing ahead with her right arm. "Alright, Alpha! It's time to roll out!" The Mudkip responded immediately to her call, stepping forward, and letting out what would amount to a bark in reply.

The Lambent struck the same pose she had before, but instead of just opening the fingers on one hand, she did so for both hands, over both eyes, perfectly mirroring herself over both sides. "I, The Lambent, seeker of justice, accept your challenge!" Nodding her head to an imaginary beat, she shot her right arm out to the side, bent it at the elbow so her hand pointed at the sky, and then shot it forward, pointing at Ino. "Come at me!"

A smile crept up on Ino's face. No matter how strange this girl was acting, especially for wearing such normal clothing, she was certainly full of energy. This fight wasn't going to be an easy one, either, declared the hunch Ino was having about this "Lambent".

"Alright, Alpha, let's get her with a tackle!" Ino called, prompting Alpha to let out a grunt of excitement. The mud fish sprinted forward, directly at the head of her opposing doppelganger.

The Lambent grinned, and Ino could practically feel the glint coming off of such a cocky smile. "Hit 'em with a Mud-slap, Niko!" Niko, her Mudkip, nodded, and dug his elongated tail into some muddy soil, and right as Alpha arrived, it flung the tail forward, sending a huge puddle of mud directly into Alpha's eyes. Unable to stop herself in time, Alpha ran directly into the trunk of a tree. "Let's end it, Niko! Tackle!" The opposing Mudkip nodded to his trainer, and sprinted forward, directly at the still-recovering Alpha.

Ino was struck by the pace of the battle, and how quickly it shifted in favor of this strange girl. Trying to think of a way out of her predicament, Ino, took into account the nearby area, which was surrounded by trees and tall grass. "Alpha! Duck into the bushes!" Alpha had wiped the mud from her eyes at this point, and heard the call from her trainer, planting into the soil with all four feet, and catapulting herself into the tall grass, rendering the targeting from the opposing Tackle useless.

The Lambent scoffed, although she was visibly trying to figure a way out of the situation. "U-Uh, once you lay eyes on Alpha again, use tackle!" she ordered Niko, who nodded, and began to survey the area around the trainers. Letting out a nervous chuckle, The Lambent looked at Ino, trying to read her body language for any hints of attack. Instead, Ino simply stood there, carrying a completely neutral stance. "How can you command your Pokémon if you don't know where it is?!" she demanded, stomping her foot. "The Mudkip has to come out sometime!"

The wind swept quickly across the area, rustling every piece of foliage possible, making any attempt to locate Alpha with sound useless. Niko, the opposing Mudkip, was spinning on his heels, trying to find something, anything, to focus an attack on. The target came up from the grass behind, in the form of Alpha, who sprung high into the air. A grin met Ino's face, as she pointed forward, giving her command.

"Alpha, use Tackle!" she called, as Niko struggled to turn around and face the surprise attacker. Alpha, who was nearing a low-hanging branch, used it to propel herself forward, by kicking off of it with her back legs. And like a torpedo, the mud fish flew forward, crashing down into the head of Niko, resulting in a certainly critical hit.

Niko was impacted so greatly, that not only did his head fly down into the dirt, but he skidded backwards, while Alpha was propelled backwards, into Ino's outstretched arms. The Lambent leapt forward, catching the skidding Niko in her outstretched arms. She rolled over a few times, coming to a stop, rather gently, against the trunk of the tree. Niko was completely gone, knocked clean out from the force of the impact.

Tears welled up behind The Lambent's eyes, although she quickly jolted upwards, playing the entire situation off as if it was nothing. "Y-You win this one, I-Ino," she stammered, unclipping the prized Poochyena from her hip, and holding it out to the side, without looking back at Ino. "She doesn't have a name yet… I'll leave that one to you." Kneeling down, still not facing Ino, The Lambent placed the Pokéball on ground, and gave a slight wave with that very hand, before sprinting in the direction of Petalburg City, leaving Ino to only reach out a hand in a vain attempt to slow her down and offer help.

Ino picked up the Pokéball, turning it over in her hand. Inside, Ino could faintly see the sleeping body of a Poochyena. With only a shrug, Ino tucked the Pokéball onto her belt, and began the walk to Petalburg City, with her trusty Alpha following closely at her side.


	6. HoS: Part Two Section Two

Section Two:

A New Friend

Dexter yawned, as he carried his newly acquired party into the Petalburg City Pokémon center. While searching on route one hundred and three, he had come upon an old man wearing a strange set of robes had approached him, and given him a Pokéball. Within it, a male Poochyena was resting, and the old man recounted how this one was special, having the ability to use Thunder Fang, unlike the usual Poochyena being limited to Tackle at birth. Dexter did not even hesitate, and snatched the Pokéball from the old man, and declared he had named it Mars, because of the strong abilities it possessed. While traversing route one hundred and two, on his way to Petalburg City, he captured a Tailow, and named it Mercury, deciding that mythological figures would now be the theme of his party. While traversing the new route, Dexter did not encounter Ino, which upset him, because he would have challenged her on the spot. Instead, he made his way into Petalburg City, passing up the opportunity to search for more Pokémon. Three was enough for now, and until he saw something that would blow him away, he would keep these three.

Dexter turned over his Pokémon to the rather pretty girl at the desk, who in turn handed him a pager, and let him know it would be approximately twenty minutes until the nest healing bed opened up, and directed Dexter to sit in the waiting area. He did so, dropping obediently into one the chairs, across from the only other girl there, who appeared to be very quaint and quiet. She had very pretty dirty-blonde hair, which was darker towards the roots, but turned into more blonde streaks as it flowed from her scalp. She wore a rather plain white blouse, and a beige button-up sweater, that she didn't pull up over her shoulder. She looked at Dexter, her blue eyes sparkling as they locked eye contact, before quickly turning her face into a scowl, as if she remembered she was supposed to hate him, or something.

"Why does such a lowly trainer look upon The Lambent with such a lowly look?!" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest. "Clearly, you don't realize who you're looking upon!"

Her decree was met by a rather meek nurse, who approached, holding out a platter with a single Pokéball on a tray. "M-Miss Lambent, your Pokémon is healthy now," she explained, practically flying from her own skin as this "Lambent" character snagged the ball in a swift motion, and dismissed the nurse, who quickly headed away.

Releasing the ball, a Mudkip exploded in a burst of red light, taking a spot on the seat beside Lambent, immediately using a back leg to scratch the area behind the right fin jutting from the side of its head. Dexter raised an eyebrow, remembering that the Professor has said Mudkip was a rather rare breed of Pokémon, but pushed the thought from his head, instead choosing to inquire this girl about her rather strange disposition.

"So, why do you call yourself, 'The Lambent'?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest, and leaning back in the surprisingly comfortable chair. "Clearly it's a name you made up. Why do go around insisting people call you it?"

The Lambent huffed, patting her Mudkip on the head, which made it let out what Dexter assumed equated to a purr for a mud fish, as it cuddled up on her leg. "I didn't make up anything, you heathen. 'Lambent' is something glowing or involving light." She grumbled something obscene under her breath, Dexter could tell, before turning back to her normal, commanding tone. "I am the bringer of light on this world! I will purge it of all the darkness!" She stood, spreading her legs shoulder-width apart, and striking some pose she had made up in her free time, with her left arm out to the side, and her right hand over her eye, which peered through the space opened between her pointer and middle finger, with her thumb pointed downwards.

"I am The Lambent! And I'm going to be the greatest Pokémon trainer to walk the earth!" She let out a confident huff, releasing from her pose, and returning to her seat. "I've only lost one Pokémon battle to date. Impressed?"

Dexter nodded, springing onto his feet, and pulling on a huge grin. "Can we battle?" His fingers twitched as they hung at his side. She didn't look that impressive at first, but if she's only lost one battle in her career, she must be something to face, he decided.

The Lambent laughed, standing at Dexter's height, before turning away.

"No."

Dexter paused. The moment was right, the lighting perfect, and he could practically hear the cueing of battle music. "What?!" he demanded, practically falling over. "You've only lost one battle! You should be excited for someone as weak as I am! I started today!"

She turned around once again, this time diverting her eyes to the ground, as her face filled in with a bright red color. "I… I did too." The words were so quiet, Dexter decided it was a miracle he could hear her at all, let alone construe the meaning.

Dexter shook his head slowly, chuckling gently as he did so. "So, you mean, when you say you've only lost one battle…"

"I've only ever battled once," she said, finishing off the sentence he started, and for a moment, it seemed as if this girl was showing genuine emotion, being greatly disappointed with herself. She pulled a pack over her shoulder, and motioned for her Mudkip to follow, turning away from Dexter. "I'll see you around… Uh…"

"Dexter." This time, Dexter finished her sentence, and when she looked over her shoulder him, he gave a cocky grin. "And next time we meet, I challenge you to a battle."

Her eyes widened, and the upset expression on her face vanished, replaced once again by the façade she clung onto so heavily. She was back to being The Lambent. "Not if I challenge you first!" she declared, sprinting out of the Pokémon Center, leaving Dexter by himself.

It wasn't very long before his Pokémon were returned to him, and Vulcan took the usual place on his shoulder. Both Mars and Mercury snapped conveniently to his hip, and with a smile, he left the Pokémon Center, directly into a situation that flushed the smile from his face.

As if he had been there for an extended period of time, the town's gym leader stepped forward. Not only was this rather intimidating man the gym leader, but it was his father, Norman. He wore the usual intensity Dexter had known on his body, which seemed to light the atmosphere of the situation on fire, and make Dexter feel insignificant in comparison.

"Hey, dad…" he murmured, trying to stand upright, succeeding to weakly look eye to eye with his father.

Norman looked his son over, resting his gaze on Vulcan, which raised the side of his lip slightly. "So, you went with Fire, eh?" He laughed, approaching his son, and giving him a hug, which was rather uncharacteristic, seeing as the last time both Dexter and his father had been in the same room was three years prior, in which Norman decided Dexter was lazy, all because he wanted to wait a few years before beginning a Pokémon journey. And since he now has his own Pokémon, it was as if nothing happened.

"I'm rather disappointed you didn't go with Normal types, like your old man!" he declared, laughing as if they were old drinking buddies, and not father and son. "Oh well. You're free to make your choice, son."

Dexter tried to regain a grasp on the situation, visibly relaxing when the intense atmosphere stopped being on fire. "I-I didn't really have a huge choice. I used Vulcan here to save the Professor with his daughter, Ino." Vulcan looked at Norman and let out a chirp, before rubbing against Dexter's cheek. "I guess you can say we kind of stuck together."

Norman nodded, scratching his chin. "I see. I met a girl named Ino not too long ago." He grinned, smacking Dexter playfully over the back of the head. "I gotta say, son, I'm impressed. To think you're going after such a pretty girl!" Dexter's face immediately filled out with nothing but red, but before he could speak, Norman continued. "She's skilled, too. It's as if her and her Pokémon operate on an almost equal level. That Mudkip, Alpha, was it? Anyway, she beat one of my trainees in a little scuffle."

Dexter blinked. Ino was already winning battles, and he had yet to face one of his own, besides back in Oldale town. His only taste of combat since was taking down Mercury for capture, and nothing else. Norman praised Ino so highly, too. Was he jealous? Probably. But that didn't stop him from stomping his foot, and glaring at his father. "Dad, I challenge you."

Norman blinked. After a moment, he realized Dexter was serious, and laughed, crossing his arms back over his chest. "Are you sure you want to, Dexter? I'll use weaker Pokémon to be fair, but I won't go easy on you."

Dexter nodded, fires burning behind his grey eyes, as he clenched his fist. "I've been waiting for this, Dad." He smiled, nodding to Vulcan, who sprung to the ground, and let out a few confident chirps. "The day where I can finally defeat you is here!"

Norman pulled a Pokéball from his hip, and sent out a Slakoth, which let out a groan of boredom, before sleepily eyeing Vulcan. "Fine, son," Norman replied, giving a few nods. "Let's give you a test."


	7. HoS: Part Two, Section Three

Section Three:

An Edict

Dexter slid his foot behind him, lashing his arm forward, as Vulcan regained his footing on the rather soft soil. "Hit 'em with an Ember, Vulcan!" he decreed, getting a loud chirp in response. A flurry of hot coals fired from Vulcan's beak, impacting the Slakoth directly. It appeared to lack any effect, however, as the sloth simply let out a grunt, and scratched the tuft of hair in the center of its forehead. It was as if this this creature was, for lack of a better term, loafing off, and didn't even take the time to register the pain of the hot coals pressing into its pelt. Dexter glared at the beast, throwing a finger forward, and calling out his next order.

"Use a Peck attack!" he declared, which was met by Vulcan's eager chirp, who sprinted forward, and initiated the contact. Vulcan jabbed an extended beak forward multiple times, prodding the sloth hard enough to make it flinch, clearly dealing a greater amount of damage. However, Norman, who had remained silent to this point, now chuckle, with practically glinting teeth as he curled his lips into a satisfied grin. He gave a dismissive wave of his right hand, which was removed briefly from under his crossed arms for the order.

"Slakoth, Strength."

Dexter couldn't react in time. He took a fast, flustered step backwards, and right as the first word of the phrase, "Watch out!" exited his lips, it was a pace too late. The Slakoth, completely opposite of what personality it was showing before, was now smiling. The arm it had been using to scratch the top of its head was now in a sweep motion downwards, colliding directly across Vulcan's head. The poor Pokémon only had a brief moment to brace himself before colliding face-first with the ground, the force of which propelled him up into the air once more, before landing this time on his back, and skidding several paces across the dirt.

It would have been shocking is Vulcan was still conscious after such a hit. But, as Dexter ran after his fallen companion, Vulcan did something Dexter hadn't expected. He stood back up. Somehow the small chick had gotten back onto its feet and was already pulling sharper stones from his plumage, trying to alleviate some of the pain racking his body. Dexter had been stopped in his tracks, staring at the Pokémon with the utmost of adoration.

"Vulcan…" he murmured, cut off by the angry chirp of his partner. Vulcan had taken a few steps forward, albeit shaky, but steps nonetheless, and faced the Slakoth, who had no all but abandoned his previously lazy personality. Dexter grinned, sniffling once, before giving his next order.

"Alright, Vulcan! We need to keep our distance" Dexter decided, giving a nod to his partner. "Use an Ember. Don't get too close!"

The small bird nodded back, taking off at full speed, circling the sloth with at least seven paces of space between them. After a few moments of establishing his line in the sand, Vulcan sprung into the air, sending another flurry of hot coals at the sloth. The majority of them connected with the Pokémon's arm, as it used it to repel the coals as best as it could. Vulcan came down to the ground, but the previous injuries proved too great, causing Vulcan to botch the landing, and roll head-over-heels across the dirt, just barely managing to stop before colliding with a nearby set of hedges.

This mistake proved to be the fatal one for Vulcan, as the Slakoth, finished loafing around, approached Vulcan, rather quickly for something like a sloth. Norman didn't even have to issue an order, either. The opposing Pokémon lifted one of its long arms, and in one swift, punishing motion, the battle of complete. Again, the sloth met Vulcan, this time across the side of his torso, and sent him flying into the hedgerow he had been trying to avoid.

"Vulcan!"

Dexter's cries were met to an almost devastating silence, as he sprinted to his partner's side. The hedge he had been sent into with that of a rosebush, which opened up numerous cuts on the small creature's body, and succeeded in pushing him into unconsciousness. Acting on total impulse, Dexter forced his arms through the bush, and pulled the Torchic from it, ignoring the pain from the several thorns that protested the removal.

Dexter had turned on his heels, preparing to scamper back into the Pokémon Center, but was stopped by the powerful hand of his father, slamming down onto his shoulder. Despite having won, Norman had seemed no happier than Dexter was for losing. He let out a sigh after a long moment of looking over his son.

"Great job, Dexter."

It had come as a surprise, widening Dexter's eyes almost immediately. How could such a performance be considered good? Dexter lost to a Pokémon far less superior, in his eyes, to Vulcan. "How?" he had inquired, looking at his father with saddened eyes.

Norman let out a slight chuckle, and led Dexter into the Pokémon Center. Only after handing Vulcan over to the Nurse, and they had taken a seat in the waiting area, did Norman answer his son, while looking wistfully out the window.

"Son, you know I came to the region to pursue being a Gym Leader, correct?"

It was a rather dumb question, Dexter decided, wondering what it could possibly have to do with the battle held outside. However, he indulged his father, giving a nod.

Norman looked back at Dexter. "Dexter, you've only had that Pokémon for a single day, and yet, you nearly had me finished out there." After a beat of silence, he continued. "The Slakoth is going to be a member of my team one day. He was bread for superior defense and speed, while retaining the power Slakoth is known for. And you nearly beat my prized trainee."

Dexter blinked. Such a thing couldn't have been true, right? It was a simple sloth he had picked up on the way into town, Dex had thought. Or at the very least, he had never thought it was something his father had taken such pride in.

Chuckling rather heartily, Norman leaned back into his seat. "You almost beat me, a trainer far more seasoned than the one Ino had beaten in my gym." He smiled at Dexter, running a hand, rather embarrassingly, through his hair. "I'd say you weren't behind her at all on the level of skill." He laughed now, standing up, and holding a hand out to his son. "Hell, you'd beat her right now. I'd place money on it."

Dexter took his father's hand, and stood. This was the first time his father had ever shaken his hand. Seizing the moment, Norman pulled his son inward, and gave him a hug. After the shock had worn off, Dexter threw his arms around his father, and hugged him back.

"I'm proud of you, son."

That was the first time his father had ever said that to Dexter.

"Thanks, Dad."

They were shaken back into reality by the nurse, who approached them very cautiously, and informed them Vulcan was healed. Without another word, Dexter collected his Pokémon, and was accompanied to the gym by his father, who upon getting there, pat his son on the back.

"Best of luck to you out there, son," he said, shooting a thumbs up at Dexter. "I can't wait to see what you bring back here to challenge me with."

Dexter smiled right back at his father, and Vulcan let out a motivated chirp, staring rather intensely at the man who had bested them before.

"You'd better watch your back, Dad!" he declared, returning to his previously cocky attitude. "I'm going to be the one who wins the Pokémon league. Just you wait and see!"


	8. HoS: Part Two, Section Four

Section Four

Forest Encounter

A small flock of Tailow was hopping from branch to branch, signaling Ino and Alpha's entrance into the Petalbrug Woods. The trees were thick around the trunk and very tall, and their plumage grew so closely together, that only a fraction of the possible sunlight reached the ground, casting a great concentration of shadows to the sunlight across the whole wood. Frankly, Ino found it rather unsettling, for such a lively looking place to be cast in such shadow, and rejoiced in the fact that she did not find herself lost here and night, as the dense trees would easily confuse someone in the dark.

Ino had spent an hour or so in the area just outside the woods to train her Pokémon and acquire a few more, namely a Wurmple she named "Gamma", and a Tailow she named "Delta". And after resting at the nearby home of a former sailor, an odd man who went by "Mr. Briney", who allowed Ino rest as long as she would return his lost Wingull to him, if found. Some character in all blue that looked remarkably like a pirate was the culprit, and Ino had a hunch as to whom, or what group, rather, was in possession of the missing bird. Reluctantly, though, she agreed to help him search, seeing as how she was still going to hunt down those responsible for harming her father, and show them what they had reaped from their violent actions.

Alpha caught a ride on top of Ino's head, as she tried to pick herself through the undergrowth, both attempting to avoid the wild Pokémon that were likely about, and getting picked apart by thorny bushes. However, this cycle of careful treading was broken by the distant screams of a man who seemed to be in trouble. Ino picked up the pace as best as she could, trying to avoid as many cuts on her exposed legs as possible, before the screaming stopped. She had made it through the bushes once the screaming stopped, prompting her to take off in a steady jog down the trail that opened up after the tall undergrowth. It wasn't until she burst through another, much smaller, waist-deep wall of bushes that she stumbled upon the scene, despite it being much more mundane than she initially expected.

A rather nerdy man, complete with the stereotypical round glasses and white lab coat, was on his rear-end, trying to keep hold of a tattered brown box. Trying to pry the box from his hands was something Ino, rather frankly, had hoped to see. It was one of those blue pirates, although this one wasn't one that attacked her father. Still, the actions of those people back in Oldale had pretty much cemented the fact in Ino's mind that these people were all evil, and therefore had to be stopped.

"Nail him, Alpha!" she decreed, receiving a nod from her partner, who sprung to the ground and took off at full speed, slamming head-first into the pirate's side. Unaware and therefore unprepared, the pirate was sent rolling into a nearby tree, stopping all of his momentum instantly, and jarring him enough to put him into a daze.

The nerdy man stood up and dusted himself off, one hand at a time, as to keep the package firmly clasped in one arm or the other. Finally, he pulled his glasses from his face and gave each lens a good wiping, before pushing them back onto the bridge of his nose, and gave a small bow of his head. "Thank you very much!" he exclaimed, standing upright again, in such a swift motion he had to push his glasses back into place once again. "If I lost this package, I would have lost my job!" He nervously wiped his forehead with his arm before continuing. "When you get to Slateport, come to the Devon Corporation. I'll be able to put a good word for you to Mr. Stone." And with that, not even waiting for Ino to reply, he beat a hasty retreat, sprinting right through grass and shrub like it was nothing, in a b-line for Slateport City. Ino couldn't blame him, though, as he clearly didn't want to wait and see if this man were to wake up.

Ino did, however.

After giving him a quick examination, she took a seat a few paces away from the fallen grunt, sitting with legs crossed, stroking a sleeping Alpha. There was no blood present from her quick check to see if the man was alive, and his breathing was regular, so he should be waking up after only a few minutes, hopefully.

And without much excitement, her wish came true. The grunt let out a, well, a grunt of his own, lifting an arm to rub a sore spot on the back of his head, while muttering several unsavory words under his breath. Ino had been pacing around the same area, and once hearing her guest awaken; she put on a smile, and turned to the pirate. "Hi there, mister," she began, trying her best to sound cute and innocent, since he most likely wouldn't have seen her going down. "Are you alright?"

The man groaned, shakily making it onto his feet with considerable effort, before even trying to muster up his reply. "Y-Yeah, I guess." His words came out as a mutter, and rather confusedly, as he felt his belt for his collapsed Pokéball. And once he realized it was gone, his eyes widened.

Ino's smile formed into a more sinister grin, and she lifted her hand, and opened her palm, allowing a collapsed Pokéball to roll out to the tips of her fingers. The grunt looked at her hand, and then to her, taking a few steps backwards. Ino stepped after him, tossing the ball into the air and catching it, again and again, as she did. "Look, I just need you to do me a favor, alright?"

The frightened man took in a gulp, giving a few nods. "H-How can I help ya?" He sounded sincere enough. Or, at least, he was trying to, since he had back up so quickly that he lost footing, and fell onto his rear-end once again.

"Now, look, I want to know something." She began simply enough, she thought, that he would give her appropriately honest answers. Alpha hopped up onto the top of her head, putting on as intimidating a glare as such an adorable Pokémon could. Clearing her throat, Ino continued, squatting down to her level.

"Look, I need to know what exactly you are," she said, rubbing the back of her head. "I never really caught the name you guys go by back in Oldale." Ino figured she was being reasonable enough so far. If he would cooperate, she wouldn't be forced to use Beta and his Fire Fang to persuade said cooperation. The grunt was taking quite some time to ponder his answer, which made Ino slightly upset, forcing her to rephrase the question. "Who do you work for, and what do they want?"

His eyes were filled with conflict, as he looked over the much younger girl that held an irritating amount of power of him. Clearly, Ino could tell that he was going to be giving away very sensitive information, and that bothered him. However, Ino hoped he wasn't stupid, and decided to choose the easier of the two options.

Luckily for the two of him, he piped up with an answer. "We're Team Aqua, ya see, and we want to help expand the sea, which is where all the cool Pokémon live, ya dig?" He gave Ino a sickeningly pitiful level of puppy-dog eyes, as if he was trying to convince her not to hurt him. She reached for a Pokéball on his hip, which was enough to prompt a continuation. "Look, look, you're asking 'bout stuff above my pay grade!" he exclaimed, trying to scoot backwards. "All I know is that I was told to go'n get that box. I don't know what the damn thing does, they don't tell me that!"

Ino raised an eyebrow, and sighed, clipping the Pokéball she had borrowed from the grunt to her hip. She stood, and took Alpha off of her head, and held him to her chest. "Go, now, and quit Team Aqua." Her voice was short and colder than ice. "Because I'm going to find where this team is hiding, and I'm going to burn it to the ground." And without another word, she began to walk towards the end of the Petalburg woods, leaving the grunt cowering in the distance. However, once she was far from earshot, she slumped against and tree, and let out a long, relieved sigh.

She looked at her Mudkip and pat the top of her head, letting out another sigh. "That was the most nerve-wracking thing I've ever had to do…" she murmured, hugging Alpha tightly to her chest. She meant every word, sure, but that didn't stop everything she just said from being threats thrown at an obviously very powerful criminal organization. And now she had to follow through.

**Hey guys, sorry about the hiatus! I never expected to go one one! But once I got home, my part-time job decided to have me work near full-time hours. I'll try to be more regular from now on, and sorry once again!


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